CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

NICKOLAS

I make my way through the castle's winding corridors, my steps heavy and my thoughts even heavier. I can still smell Amelia's scent clinging to me like a second skin and feel the warmth of her body cradled against mine. It's maddening, this bone-deep craving for her that seems to grow stronger with every passing moment.

Eventually, my wandering feet carry me to my study, the heavy oak door swinging open to reveal the comforting familiarity of my sanctuary. Sinking down into the high-backed leather chair behind my desk, I rest my elbows on the polished surface and cradle my head in my hands, struggling to make sense of the storm raging inside me.

I don't like the way Amelia looked at me back there, the hurt and anger simmering beneath the surface of her carefully neutral expression. I want nothing more than to take that pain away, to open myself up to her in a way I've never allowed myself to be vulnerable before